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SPOT THE CELEBRITY
When someone famous chooses your brand, you can tell the press or you can choose to keep quiet. It depends on the person. Some famous people go out looking for publicity, and others are happy to get on with their lives quietly without much fuss. We see one of the “Strictly Come Dancing” stars at our local butcher’s shop, but no-one kicks up a stir about it. There’s an Oscar winning actor who goes to our Waitrose, but they don’t take his picture and send it to the gossip mags. On the other hand, celebrities – people who make a career out of being famous for being famous – often expect to get their shopping for nothing in exchange for press coverage, on the grounds that their admirers will want what they want, and will come in to buy it. They consider their recommendation to be good enough to increase sales, and sometimes it is. The Duchess of Cambridge can sell out a dress in a day, but she does pay her own way.
The idea Magazines which feature the lives of the rich and famous are always looking for stories about celebrities, so press offices will give them information to help them fi ll their columns in exchange for a mention of the brand. It’s a good way of getting into the media, as long as you’re happy to be associated with the celebrities concerned. Many shops don’t court the celeb circuit, but they’re delighted when someone famous
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100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 189
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